County nears occupation of facility

A 'monkey wrench' was thrown into the building plans, a commissioner says.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Trumbull County officials received good news about the possibility of using the Park-Porter building on North Park Avenue downtown for various county agencies.
The news comes a day after what Commissioner Dan Polivka said is bad news about losing a tenant in the county-owned Wean building across the street.
County Administrator Tony Carson Jr. said a report from Daniel A. Terreri & amp; Sons Inc. of North Jackson says the first phase of testing on the Park-Porter walls and ceilings indicates that the amount of asbestos is below levels that would worry the Environmental Protection Agency.
David E. Zofko, the county's chief building official, said the testing indicates none of the samples taken "came close to 1 percent" asbestos.
What's next
The next step will be to inspect the remainder of the building, such things as floor tiles and insulation around pipes, to determine the amount of asbestos. Zofko, however, said the building has cleared its biggest potential hurdle because asbestos found in these other areas would be relatively inexpensive to fix.
"Everything came back in good shape," Carson said, adding that the county would like to have the remainder of the evaluation completed as soon as possible.
County commissioners agreed in November to buy the 84-year-old building for $699,500 to house the combined Job and Family Services and One-Stop job training center offices. The purchase was contingent upon the building passing asbestos testing and issues such as an appraisal and approval of utility savings from Warren city.
Polivka, meanwhile, said he's unhappy about the county Educational Service Center's decision Monday to relocate to the former Carlisle's building on U.S. Route 422 in Niles from its current offices in the Wean building.
ESC officials have said the Wean building has heating and cooling problems, and the board wanted to have a new facility in place by the start of next school year.
A long wait
Ronald Knight, ESC governing board president, said the board waited for months for the county to decide which building it would purchase for the J & amp;FS and One-Stop -- to see whether there'd be room for the ESC. When it learned the Park Porter building would need nearly two years to be renovated and ready, the ESC decided to go in another direction, Knight said.
Polivka said commissioners would attempt to improve the Wean building as soon as the county could afford to. The county has been in better financial shape since two quarter-percent sales taxes went into effect last summer.
Polivka also said the ESC moving out puts a "monkey wrench" into the county's plans to fix the heating system because rent from the ESC could have helped pay for the work. The ESC had its office space rent-free for years but would have had to start paying the county rent next year under new state laws, ESC officials said.
Commissioner James Tsagaris estimated the cost to replace the boiler at the Wean building at around $1 million. He said it is not clear whether such a repair will be made. "It might be something we have to close up," Tsagaris said.
He said if the Wean building is torn down, the Park Porter building might be the place where the offices such as the planning commission and building inspection office would be shifted.
Mayor Michael O'Brien said the ESC's leaving Warren for Niles equates to a $60,000 annual loss in income tax revenue from the estimated 50 to 60 employees there.
runyan@vindy.com